Billie Eilish: When The Party's Over Meaning

Song Released: 2018

Get "When The Party's Over" on MP3:

Get MP3 from Amazon
Get MP3 from iTunes

When The Party's Over Lyrics

Play "When The Party's Over"
on Amazon Music

[Verse 1]
Don't you know I'm no good for you
I've learned to lose you, can't afford to
Tore my shirt to stop you bleedin'
But nothin' ever stops you leavin'

[Chorus]
Quiet when I'm coming home and I'm on my own
I could lie, say I like it...

1.  

   anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Dec 29th, 12:33am report

   
   

   Don't you know I'm no good for you, I've learned to lose you, can't afford to
   
   She knows she's not good for him, and he keeps leaving her. They're both hurting each other, and yet she feels that she can't let go of him ('cant afford to')
   
   Tore my shirt to stop you bleedin'
   But nothin' ever stops you leavin'
   
   ... self-explanatory. She keeps trying to do everything she can to help him and fix his hurting, and yet, despite her efforts, he just keeps on abandoning her.
   
   Quiet when I'm coming home and I'm on my own
   I could lie, say I like it like that, like it like that
   I could lie, say I like it like that, like it like that
   
   There could be two interpretations, for me. One, she is literally alone in the house - he's not there. He's ditching her, again. Or two - even if he's there, they're quiet - they don't know what to say, and they feel alone even in each other's company, because they're so distant. It reminds me of Hostage - 'when you're with me and we're alone'.
   
   As for the second bit, she seems to be saying 'sure, I could keep on pretending to both you and myself that this is okay.' I think there's something to be said for the incompleteness of the phrase - she doesn't follow those lines up by saying 'but I'm not going to lie any more' or 'but, in my heart, I know this needs to end'. It's left lingering, open-ended...not resolved. It's like she knows it's wrong, but she doesn't have any other option. she says 'I could lie', but doesn't say 'or I could... blah blah blah'. she's on the edge of a cliff, knowing that staying with him is so so bad for her, but not pushing herself over the edge and ending it - something is holding her back from moving on.
   
   Don't you know too much already
   I'll only hurt you if you let me
   
   With that first line, maybe she's said everything under the sun to him - the good stuff, and a lot of bad stuff. She knows that she's just as toxic for him as he is for her. She's said and done things to him that went too far - he knows 'too much'
   
   Call me friend but keep me closer (Call me back)
   And I'll call you when the party's over
   
   This bit is complicated. Interpretation 1 is that she's saying that although he only says they're friends, he's playing her and treating her more romantically/sexually than that. Or interpretation 2 - nice and dark - is that it's reminiscent of the old saying 'keep your friends close, and your enemies closer'. In which case she's saying that at surface value they seem friends, but really they've become enemies, since they're so toxic to each other. Or maybe it's a beautiful entanglement of both those ideas - that, in becoming romantically attached, they've morphed into enemies. The 'call me back' bit - it hits me so hard. Despite knowing that he's either playing her or secretly her enemy, she still wants him. Still holds on to him. Still needs to hear his voice.
   
   As for the second line, judging by what she said in her interview, my view is that a party is loud, confusing, overwhelming. And maybe it's a metaphor for their relationship - overwhelming, confusing - or maybe it's literally just a party. She might in a noisy club, or maybe she just can't deal with all the noisy doubts and thoughts running around in her head, and them all screaming through her mind is too much for her. Either way, she's on the phone to him and they're arguing. She's sick of fighting with him, and in that moment she decides she's done with it. She'll deal with him afterwards, once she's got some peace and quiet. To me, it's like, because life is always so hectic and crazy, it feels that she doesn't have time for him and his games any more, and will call him when her life becomes a little 'quieter' - he is no longer a top priority, just an anxiety pushed to the back of her mind. A disturbance, something to deal with if and when she ever gets a calm moment. Like a ripple in a previously-still lake, causing fallout. It's clear here that their relationship has really reached a breaking point.
   
   Quiet when I'm coming home and I'm on my own
   And I could lie, say I like it like that, like it like that
   Yeah I could lie, say I like it like that, like it like that
   
   ^^ what I said above ^^
   
   But nothing is better sometimes
   Once we've both said our goodbyes
   Let's just let it go
   Let me let you go
   
   she's decided that it's best to leave him. this has progressed over the song, because in the beginning she said she 'can't afford' to lose him, and now she's deciding to do exactly that. She's done with being hurt. But the 'let me let you go' bit - it's almost pleading, as if she's still stuck to him. She seems to be pleading with herself as much as him - both of them, herself and him, seem unwilling to give it up. Deep down, she still wants to stay.
   
   Quiet when I'm coming home and I'm on my own
   I could lie, say I like it like that, like it like that
   I could lie, say I like it like that, like it like that
   
   After her mini-triumph in the decision to leave him, it seems she's lapsed back into the relationship. She feels stuck, bound to him, and can't let him go. And so, much like the structure of the song, no matter what goes on (ie. no matter what she said in the verses), she always ends up coming back to him and staying in the toxic relationship (represented by these repeated lines), over and over, even though she knows she's lying to herself and him if she said she 'like{d} it like that'.

   
   
   
   

2.  

   anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Dec 18th, 12:24pm report

   
   

   It was kind of really scary from the black eye blood.

   
   
   
   

3.  

   anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Dec 4th, 12:38am report

   
   

   What is the real meaning of this song?

   
   
   
   

4.  

   anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Nov 16th, 11:11am report

   
   

   I need to do a research about a song and i picked up this song and now im fucked up. i literally dont know what to explain. and i need to submit this on next monday. and do a presentation about this song. :'(

   
   
   
   

5.  

   anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Nov 13th, 11:04pm report

   
   

   Ok so this song is about how Billie was trapped and mistreated in a relationship. And how she gave everything but the guy doesn’t care “tore my shirt to stop you bleeding, but nothing ever stops you leaving”. She decided that she ain’t going to keep getting dragged on so she says you know what I will call you when the party’s over.